DNC memo: Bad night for the GOP?

By Ben Smith

08/25/10 03:40 PM EDT

The Democratic National Committee is putting out a memo this afternoon, of which I got an early glimpse, arguing that the fratricidal Republican primaries have left the party "deeply divided and with deeply flawed candidates."

There's clearly something to that — the question is whether it will be enough to stem the tide, and where. The DNC even goes so far as to argue that "however the Republican primary results pan out, Democrats can win in Alaska."

Last night was another horrible election night for the Republican Party. Last night's results reinforced the trend we've seen throughout the primary season and across the country: Democrats emerged from their primaries strengthened, unified and with momentum at their backs, while Republicans emerged from their contentious primaries both deeply divided and with deeply flawed candidates.

In Florida, Democrats emerged with two strong candidates in Alex Sink and Kendrick Meek, whose campaigns are battle tested and who are peaking at the right time. Alex Sink is polling even [with] or ahead of Rick Scott, her Republican opponent. And she has a long record of strong leadership in Florida and a significant base of support across the state. During the primary, she flew under the radar and allowed the Republican primary candidates to tear each other apart.

Republicans emerged with a gubernatorial candidate, Rick Scott, who spent $50 million of his own money to get less than 50 percent of the vote. Scott's victory was a huge blow to the Republican Party and has left bitter feelings that aren't going to disappear any time soon. The establishment favorite, Bill McCollum, at first refused to concede the race, then ripped into Scott in a statement released by his campaign and a series of planned Republican Party unity events across Florida were cancelled.

While Republicans are still inflicting wounds on one another, the Florida Democratic Party has launched a TV ad blitz across the state in support of Alex Sink this morning. And what did Florida Republicans get at the cost of tens of millions of dollars and party unity? A candidate who is running on his background, but whose business pled guilty to 14 felonies and admitted to systematic fraud that bilked the American taxpayer out of billions of dollars. Like another deeply flawed, deep-pocketed candidate running on a business background, Carly Fiorina, Scott was fired by the board of directors for his failed management of the company.

In the Florida Senate race, Kendrick Meek proved he could overcome millions of dollars in spending to present a strong, positive vision that resonates with Florida voters. With his resounding victory in the primary, Meeks's campaign is well positioned to win a three-way race as the Republican vote is split between a candidate from the right and another from the far right.

In Alaska, the Republican primary results are yet another blow to the Republican establishment. With final results still pending, Tea Party candidate Joe Miller, fueled by an anti-abortion voter referendum, has a narrow lead over incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski, and it is very possible that when the absentee ballots are counted that he will have won. But what is clear is that there will be lingering resentment caused by the backing of Sarah Palin among half the Republican electorate, proving that Palin is not only a divisive figure within the general populace, but within the GOP as well. The fact that the race is even close at all shows that Republican incumbents this year are in as much trouble as any incumbents across the country. And it is yet another example of the ongoing feud between the Tea Party and those who follow the lead of Sarah Palin and the mainstream Republican Party. However the Republican primary results pan out, Democrats can win in Alaska. For proof, you need look no further than Mark Begich.

In Arizona, John McCain secured a victory over J.D. Hayworth, but not without diminishing himself. The Republican Party's presidential nominee had to spend $21 million dollars and take a slew of Tea Party positions that put him far outside the mainstream and that destroyed his brand and credibility to hold off a Tea Party challenge from a radio talk show host once called the dumbest member of Congress. Despite John McCain’s nomination, the results of yesterday’s Arizona primary demonstrate the complete takeover of the Republican Party by the Tea Party. In order to win, John McCain had to fundamentally change his positions and his character. In order to beat J.D. Hayworth, John McCain had to become JD Hayworth. Therein a Senator who was once the face of comprehensive immigration reform now would just build the ‘danged fence;’ a man who once reveled in being a maverick now is a rubber stamp for the extreme right wing; a man whose name was synonymous with campaign finance reform now barely registers a notice when the law that bears his name is gutted by the Supreme Court to favor corporate America.

The Republican Party's slate of deeply flawed candidates isn't limited to statewide races, either. The GOP nominated two candidates running on family values in Ben Quayle (AZ-3), who helped start a pornographic website, and David Rivera (FL-25), who - according to his fellow Republicans - was charged with domestic violence. In Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, Republicans put forward yet another Tea Party candidate in Jesse Kelly, who wants to “eliminate Social Security” and to privatize Medicare. In Florida’s 8th Congressional district, newly minted Republican nominee Daniel Webster promises that one of his first acts in Congress will be to cut entitlement programs like Social Security. These are positions that won’t go over well anywhere but especially in Arizona and Florida.

Although Republicans would like to see a national referendum in this election, the deeply flawed candidates Republicans nominated last night, just like the ones they nominated previously – such as Rand Paul, Sharron Angle, Ken Buck, Ron Johnson and Linda McMahon – ensure that voters will be making a choice between the candidates before them this fall. And given how bloodied these candidates were by their primaries and the lack of Republican unity coming out of those races, Democratic candidates are in a stronger position today than they were yesterday to upset the tide of history and the contemporary conventional wisdom.